Carolina Hurricanes: The strange tale of Erik Cole’s draft selection

About those picks

Well, the 1997 2nd round pick was used to select Brad DeFauw out of the University of North Dakota.  He finished up his college career before turning pro with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the IHL (it used to be a thing).

DeFauw followed that up with 3 seasons with the Lowell Lock Monsters, posting 68 points (32g, 36a) in 154 AHL games.  He only appeared in 9 games with the Hurricanes—all in March of 2003—posting 3 goals before moving overseas for the remainder of his career.

With all due respect, the 1998 2nd round pick is much more interesting, at least from the Hurricanes’ perspective.  With that pick—71st overall—Rutherford snagged Clarkson University winger Erik Cole.  Cole, who went undrafted in 1997, joined the Hurricanes for the 2001-02 season and promptly made himself a fixture by posting 16 goals and 40 points in 81 games.

The hard-nosed winger quickly became a fan favorite thanks to his skating, willingness to go to the dirty areas, and net-front drive.

Those fans were incensed when a dirty hit from Pittsburgh’s Brooks Orpik left Cole with a fractured vertebra that cost him 22 regular season and 23 postseason games.  That anger turned to sadness when Cole was shipped off to the Edmonton Oilers in the summer of 2008 for defenseman Joni Pitkanen.

More from Cardiac Cane

• 2023 Southeast Rookie Showcase: Takeaways from the Canes’ Strong Showing in Florida
• Week Two Coverage Of College Hockey In NC
• Derek Stepan Ends His On Ice Career As A Hurricane
• The Southeast Rookie Showcase Will Be a Good Look at Carolina’s Future
• Noesen Ready To Provide Depth For Canes

Cole spent all of 8 months in Edmonton before being re-acquired by the Hurricanes in March of 2009.  After a disappointing stint in Alberta, Cole quickly re-established himself in Raleigh, notching 15 points in 17 games as Carolina made a push to return to the postseason for the first time since their 2006 championship.

His production cooled in the playoffs as he managed just 5 assists in 18 games as the Hurricanes made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

He went on to play 2 more seasons in Carolina before signing a free-agent pact with the Montreal Canadiens.  That was followed by stops in Dallas and Detroit before Cole signed a one-day contract that allowed him to retire as a Hurricane in September of 2017.

During his time as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes, Erik Cole put up 168 goals and 195 assists for 363 points in 557 games.  Not bad for a 3rd round pick that was acquired as the end result of Brendan Shanahan wanting out of Hartford.

Of course, that trade brought in Keith Primeau, who became disgruntled himself and led to another trade that had a profound impact on the Hurricanes.

That’s a story for another day.

Okay, Caniacs, what do you think of the series of events that led to Erik Cole’s draft selection?